Fernando Alonso says he prefers Formula 1’s paddock compared to the respective environment in the World Endurance Championship, due to the tighter access.

Spectators attending WEC events are permitted free access to the paddock areas, but in Formula 1 entry is tightly controlled, limited to team members, media, VIPs and other selected guests.

Alonso, experiencing both this year due to his dual F1/WEC programme, says he prefers the approach taken in the single-seater championship.

“I think I prefer this system in F1, it’s a little bit more under control, the paddock passes,” said Alonso.

“In WEC, especially until Saturday [at Spa-Francorchamps], being free access to the paddock, it was a little bit too much, a little bit of stress a couple of times.

“I think here [in Formula 1] is quite under control and I think if you open free entrance to the paddock here we will not even be able to walk and we will hide even more, we will close ourselves even more in our motorhomes and things like that because you cannot do normal things.

“Then it will probably not be in the direction we want.

“We want to open the paddock and like these fans, they see the drivers and they can communicate a little bit more, [but] maybe it has the opposite reaction so I think it’s good as it is.

“I think every championship has its own philosophy and I think it’s working quite OK for each category, so I think it’s good as it is.”

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